"Shakespeare Lovers" is dedicated to studying and savoring a single play of Shakespeare's per season, followed by a post-reading DVD Party to wrap up each cycle! The plays are usually chosen based on what is being performed at either the Shakespeare Theatre or the Folger Theatre during a given season. My goal for the group is to ensurea focus on Shakespeare's own words - chosen for their poetic beauty, their wisdom, or both - to facilitate our discussions and commentary. Via prepared "handouts" filled with quotes, we delve into the Bard's profound artistic legacy. Great art is a wonderful way to nurture our inner beings and I hope the group would help facilitate such experiences for you! As organizer, I trained and work in the visual arts (art and architecture), however, having moved to London-UK as a teenager, was also exposed to a healthy dose of great theatre via parents who were keen on instilling culture in their kids from an early age. A love for great literature also happens to define my Persian (Iranian) heritage's national character, with Persian literature having been used as a guide-to-life tool for centuries, and in turn, having made falling for Shakespeare an effortless experience! (I've been dedicated to the bard since seeing Jeremy Irons at the RSC in London in 1987...) Our "Shakespeare Lovers" group continues to attract a fascinating mix of people from all walks of life. Feel free to sign up and join our little circle!

A favorite quote from The Taming of the Shrew: Tranio, in his attempt to advise Lucentio on his academic pursuits, expounds the virtues of poetry and music. While subjects like logic and mathematics have their place in life, real "profit" and advance is attained when pleasure accompanies the learning experience!

"No profit grows where is no pleasure taken." ~ The Taming of the Shrew